Protective cover for communication device

ABSTRACT

A water-proof container for holding a mobile device includes a base adapted to support a mobile device, a cover, a hinge for interconnecting the base and cover to one another, and a locking mechanism for locking the cover to the base. A groove is formed in an interior wall of the cover in circumscribing relation to the cover. A thin, transparent sheet of plastic has a bead formed in its peripheral edge and the bead is press fit into the groove so that the thin sheet of plastic closely overlies the operative face of the mobile device when the cover is latched to the base. A hollow lock housing is pivotally mounted about a pivot pin. A one hundred eighty degree (180°) rotation of the lock housing positions the opening on an opposite side of the container  10 , capturing the latch.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority to currently pending U.S. provisional patent application No. 61/390,351, entitled “Protective Container for Communication Device,” filed by the same inventor on Oct. 6, 2010, is a continuation-in-part application and claims priority to non-provisional application number 13/018,929, filed by the same inventor on Feb. 1, 2011, entitled “Protective Container for Communication Device” which claims priority to currently pending U.S. provisional patent application No. 61/358,198, entitled “Protective Container for Communication Device,” filed by the same inventor on Jun. 24, 2010, the contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This invention relates, generally, to protective containers. More particularly, it relates to a buoyant container that prevents cell phones and similar electronic mobile deices from sinking in water.

2. Description of the Prior Art

Cell phones and other mobile devices are not waterproof. Moreover, they are not protected from sand or dirt particles that may be present in an outdoor environment. Many people enjoy water-related and other outdoor sports and other activities, however, and their mobile devices may be dropped into water, subjected to sand particles, rain, and the like.

Thus there is a need for container for a mobile device that protects the device if splashed with water, submerged in water, or if subjected to sand, wind, rain and other environmental conditions that can degrade or destroy an electronic device.

The protective container should not only protect the mobile device, it should also enable a user to continue to use the device, unimpeded by the protective container.

However, in view of the art considered as a whole at the time the present invention was made, it was not obvious to those of ordinary skill in the art how the needed improvements could be provided.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The long-standing but heretofore unfulfilled need for a water-proof container for mobile devices is now met by a new, useful, and non-obvious invention.

The inventive structure is a water-proof container for holding a mobile device. The container includes a base adapted to support a mobile device, a cover, a hinge for interconnecting the base and cover to one another, and a locking mechanism for locking the cover to the base.

A groove is formed in an interior wall of the cover in circumscribing relation to the cover and a thin, transparent sheet of plastic has a bead formed in its peripheral edge. The bead is press fit into the groove so that the thin sheet of plastic closely overlies the operative face of the mobile device when the cover is latched to the base. A lock housing is pivotally mounted about a pivot pin having a first end that engages a wall of the base and a second end that engages the hollow lock housing at its center so that the lock housing rotates about the pivot pin.

A latch in the form of a protuberance is formed in and projects from a preselected wall of the cover. An opening is formed in the lock housing and faces the cover when the cover is unlocked. The opening has a width and depth sufficient to fully receive the protuberance when the cover is closed. A one hundred eighty degree (180°) rotation of the lock housing in a first direction positions the opening on an opposite side of the container 10, capturing the protuberance and thus causing the cover to tightly engage base, compressing the bead of the plastic sheet.

A one hundred eighty degree (180°) rotation of the lock housing in a second direction opposite to the first direction releases the protuberance and frees the cover from the base.

A second embodiment has a non-rotatable lock and a third embodiment has a lock housing at each end of the device.

The primary object of the invention is to protect mobile devices from water or airborne particulates that might damage the device.

A closely related object is to provide such protection without affecting a user's use of the mobile device.

These and other important objects, advantages, and features of the invention will become clear as this description proceeds.

The invention accordingly comprises the features of construction, combination of elements, and arrangement of parts that will be exemplified in the disclosure set forth hereinafter and the scope of the invention will be indicated in the claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

For a fuller understanding of the nature and objects of the invention, reference should be made to the following detailed disclosure, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the novel container in its closed configuration;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view with the locking handle removed;

FIG. 3A is first exploded perspective view;

FIG. 3B is a second exploded perspective view;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along line 4-4 in FIG. 1;

FIG. 5A is an exploded perspective view depicting the underside of the locking handle;

FIG. 5B is en enlarged perspective view of the locking handle insert;

FIG. 6A is an exploded perspective view of the container and the locking insert in a first rotated position;

FIG. 6B is an exploded perspective view of the container and the locking insert in a second rotated position;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a second embodiment of the novel container when in its fully closed configuration and in use;

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the second embodiment when in its open configuration;

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a second embodiment in its closed configuration;

FIG. 10 is a front elevational view of the second embodiment;

FIG. 11 is an exploded perspective view of the second embodiment when in an open configuration and indicating how the lock handles are rotated clockwise to unlock the structure;

FIG. 12 is a perspective view depicting the second embodiment in an open configuration;

FIG. 13 is a side elevational view of the second embodiment when its stand is deployed; and

FIG. 14 is a rear perspective view of the second embodiment, depicting the stand in its closed position.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

FIG. 1 depicts an illustrative embodiment of the novel container which is denoted as a whole by the reference numeral 10.

In a first embodiment, protective container 10 includes a container base 12, a cover 14, a hinge 13 (FIG. 3B) for hingedly interconnecting the base and cover to one another, and a lock handle 16 for locking cover 14 to base 12.

A groove circumscribes interior wall 20 of cover 14. A thin, transparent sheet of plastic 22 has bead 24 formed in its periphery and bead 24 is press fit into said groove so that said thin, transparent sheet of plastic closely overlies the operative face of a mobile device when cover 14 is locked to base 12.

Lock handle 16 is substantially hollow and is pivotally mounted about pivot pin 26 having boss 26 a. More particularly, a first end of pivot pin 26 extends from top wall 12 a of base 12 and a second end engages lock handle 16 at its center so that lock handle 16 rotates about pivot pin 26 when manually manipulated.

Protuberance 28 (FIGS. 3A and 3B) projects from wall 14 a of cover 14. Opening 16 a (FIG. 5A) is formed in lock handle 16 and said opening 16 a faces cover 12 when protective container 10 is in its unlocked configuration. Opening 16 a has a width and depth sufficient to fully receive protuberance 28 therewithin when cover 14 is closed. One hundred eighty degree (180°) rotation of lock handle 16 in a first direction positions opening 16 a on the opposite side of protective container 10, thereby capturing protuberance 28, driving cover 14 towards base 12 and compressing bead 24.

More particularly, lock insert 30 is slideably received within enclosure wall 20 of lock handle 16 so that lock insert 30 rotates conjointly with lock handle 16. Lock insert 30 has tabs 30 a, 30 b formed integrally therewith that are centrally apertured to receive screws and lock handle 16 has corresponding centrally apertured mounting bases 31 a, 31 b to which tabs 30 a, 30 b are respectively secured.

Enclosure wall 20 is supported in the center of lock housing 16 by a plurality of ribs or fins 33.

First annular wall 34 is formed in lock insert 30. First annular wall 34 terminates in featheredge wall 36 that extends partially into opening 16 a.

Pivot pin 26 is circumscribed by pivot pin annular wall 38. Lock insert 30 is centrally apertured as at 31 to receive said pivot pin 26.

As depicted in FIGS. 5A and 5B, stop wall 40 of lock insert 30 has an irregular shape, including a first end 42 that forms a radially-outwardly extending step 42 a. Stop wall 40 wraps partially around pivot pin annular wall 38 and extends between said pivot pin annular wall and featheredge wall 36. Straight section 40 a of stop wall 40 follows a straight path of travel and intersects first annular wall 34. It then follows the contour of said first annular wall 34 and terminates near opening 16 a of lock insert 30.

Detent 44 is formed integrally with and projects from wall 14 a of cover 14. Detent 44 abuts step 42 a when lock handle 16 is in its unlocked configuration as best understood in connection with FIG. 5B. Detent 44 abuts straight section 40 a of stop wall 40 when lock housing 16 is in its locked configuration as best understood in connection with said FIG. 5B. Thus, detent 44 is constrained within groove 46 at all times, bounded by step 42 a and straight section 40 a of stop wall 40. Protuberance 28 is also constrained within groove 46 when it is captured by slot 16 a and handle 16 is rotated.

Lock housing 16 is locked in its locked position by hingedly mounted lock member 48. Lock member 48 has an “L” shape and is held in its closed position as depicted in FIG. 5A when short leg 48 a of the L abuts protrusion 50 that is formed integrally with wall 49, mid-length thereof. Protrusion 50 firmly abuts a flat end of leg 48 a when lock member 48 is urged into its locked position as depicted in FIG. 1 and such abutment prevents rotation of lock member 48. Lock member 48 is unlocked by manually rotating lock member 48 which causes transient displacement of wall 49 in a radially inward direction. Such abutment prevents unwanted opening of lock member 48 and thereby prevents inadvertent rotation of lock handle 16.

Recess 52 is formed in a side wall of cover 14 and in a side wall of base 12. Recess 52 accommodates lock member 48 when said lock member is in its locked position. When so accommodated, lock member is trapped within recess 52 and lock handle 16 cannot rotate about pivot pin 26. Lifting lock member 48 to allow such rotation requires that the force of protrusion 50 against the flat end of short wall 48 a be manually overcome.

When fully locked, thin transparent sheet of plastic 22 closely overlies a mobile device housed within base 12 and covered by cover 14 so that a user may easily operate the device with the cover closed. The cover protects any electronic device therewithin from rain, splashed water, sand, dirt, and the like. It is also formed of buoyant materials so that it floats when dropped into water.

Lock handle 16 also includes opening 16 b (FIGS. 1 and 4) through which a distal end of a lanyard may be passed in order to tie said distal end to lock handle 16. The proximal end of such lanyard is advantageously attached to a user's belt or other item of clothing. This provides extra protection against sinking in deep water for mobile devices that are exceptionally heavy.

In a second embodiment, depicted in FIGS. 7 and 8, protective container 60 includes a container base 62, a cover 64, a hinge 66 for hingedly interconnecting base 62 and cover 64 to one another, and a plurality of quick-release latches 68, 70, and 72 for releasably latching cover 64 to base 62. These latches are known as over-center latches in the industry. They require a catch 74 formed on a first part of the two (2) parts to be latched together and a double-axle latch on a second part of said two (2) parts.

Groove 76 circumscribes interior wall 78 of cover 64. A thin, transparent sheet of plastic 80 has bead 82 formed in its periphery and bead 82 is press fit into groove 76 so that said thin, transparent sheet of plastic closely overlies the operative face of a mobile device when cover 64 is locked to base 62.

In the first and second embodiments, a cell phone or other electronic device having a touch screen may be operated by touching the thin sheet of plastic. The plastic has a high coefficient of heat transfer so that heat travels quickly therethrough and normal operation of the device is not impaired. The device is waterproof and formed of a buoyant elastomeric material so that it will not sink if dropped into a body of water.

A third embodiment, denoted 90 as a whole, is depicted in FIGS. 9-14. It has utility in holding electronic devices that are substantially larger than a cell phone, such as an IPad® computer, for example. However, its structure is very similar to that of the first embodiment. It has a base 92 and a cover 94 that are interconnected to one another by hinge 96 (FIG. 10) along its length. It includes two lock handles 98, 100 that operate in the same way as lock handle 16 of the first embodiment. Openings 98 a, 100 a are formed in said lock handles, respectively.

As indicated in FIG. 11, cover 94 is released from base 92 by rotating lock handle 98 clockwise, out of the plane of the paper, and by rotating lock handle 100 clockwise, into the plane of the paper. Most users will find such rotation intuitive. The rotation of the handles may take place at different moments in time but most users will intuitively rotate both handles at the same time.

As in the first embodiment, lock members 102, 104 prevent rotation of their respective lock handles 98, 100 when in their respective recesses. Recesses 102 a, 104 a are depicted in FIG. 11.

Also as in the first embodiment, a groove, not depicted in FIGS. 9-14, circumscribes the interior wall of cover 94. A thin, transparent sheet of plastic 106 has a bead formed in its periphery as in the first embodiment and said bead is press fit into said groove so that said thin, transparent sheet of plastic closely overlies the operative face of a mobile device when cover 94 is locked to base 96.

Lock inserts 114, 116 are the same as lock insert 30 in the first embodiment. Said lock inserts 114, 116 are slideably received within their respective enclosure walls 118, 120 that correspond to enclosure wall 32 of the first embodiment. In all respects, the locking and unlocking mechanism of the third embodiment is substantially the same as that of the first embodiment, the difference being merely the placement of the first and second lock handles at opposite ends of the container with the hinge running along a longitudinal edge thereof.

Brace 122 is hingedly mounted to a back wall of base 12 so that it can be deployed as depicted in FIG. 13 to support container 10 on a support surface at a preselected angle. Handle 122 a that facilitates opening and closing of brace 122 is depicted in FIG. 14.

It will thus be seen that the objects set forth above, and those made apparent from the foregoing disclosure, are efficiently attained and since certain changes may be made in the above construction without departing from the scope of the invention, it is intended that all matters contained in the foregoing disclosure or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

It is also to be understood that the following claims are intended to cover all of the generic and specific features of the invention herein described, and all statements of the scope of the invention that, as a matter of language, might be said to fall therebetween. 

1. A water-proof container for holding a mobile device, comprising: a base adapted to support a mobile device positioned thereatop; a cover; a hinge; said hinge interconnecting said base and cover to one another; and a lock handle for locking said cover to said base, said handle having a substantially hollow interior; a groove formed in an interior wall of said cover in circumscribing relation thereto; a thin, transparent sheet of plastic; a bead formed in a peripheral edge of said sheet of plastic, said bead being press fit into said groove so that said thin, transparent sheet of plastic closely overlies the operative face of said mobile device when said cover is latched to said base; said lock housing being pivotally mounted about a pivot pin; a first end of said pivot pin engaging a wall of said base and a second end of said pivot pin engaging said lock housing at its center so that said lock housing rotates about said pivot pin; a latch formed in said cover; an opening formed in said lock housing, said opening facing said cover when said container is in its unlocked configuration and said opening having a width and depth sufficient to fully receive said latch therewithin when said cover is closed so that one hundred eighty degree (180°) rotation of said lock housing positions said opening on the opposite side of said container, thereby capturing said latch.
 2. The container of claim 1, further comprising: a first annular wall formed in the substantially hollow interior of said lock housing, said first annular wall being supported by a plurality of ribs and said first annular wall terminating in a featheredge wall that extends partially into said opening; a pivot pin circumscribed by a pivot pin annular wall; a stop wall having an irregular shape, including a first end that forms a radially-outwardly extending detent; said stop wall wrapping partially around said pivot pin annular wall and extending between said pivot pin annular wall and said featheredge wall; said stop wall having a straight section that joins set first annular wall, following the contour of said first annular wall and terminating near said opening.
 3. The container of claim 2, further comprising: a detent formed integrally with and projecting from said top wall of said cover; said detent abutting said step detent when said lock housing is in its unlocked configuration and said detent abutting said straight part of said stop wall when said lock housing is in said locked configuration; whereby said detent is constrained within said groove at all times, bounded by said step detent and said straight part of said stop wall.
 4. The container of claim 3, further comprising: a hingedly mounted lock member that locks said lock housing in a locked position; sais lock member having an “L” shape that includes a short wall and a long wall; said lock member having an open position and a closed position; said lock member being in said open position when said short wall abuts protrusion that is formed integrally with said top cover wall; said protrusion abutting said flat end of said short wall when said lock member is urged into its locked position, such abutment preventing unwanted opening of said lock member; a recess formed in said side wall of said cover and in said side wall of said base, said recess accommodating said lock member when said lock member is in said locked position, said lock member being trapped within said recess when so accommodated, and said lock housing being prevented from rotating about said pivot pin; said lock member having an unlocked, lifted position that allows such rotation, said lock member being movable into said unlocked, lifted position when the bias of said protrusion against said flat end of said short wall is manually overcome.
 5. The container of claim 4, further comprising: said container being formed of buoyant materials so that it floats when dropped into water; whereby a user may operate the mobile device with the cover closed, said cover protecting said mobile from rain, splashed water, sand, dirt, and the like.
 6. The container of claim 5, further comprising: an opening to which a distal end of a lanyard is attached; a proximal end of said lanyard being attached to an item of clothing of said user;
 7. A container for a mobile device, comprising: a base; a cover; a hinge for hingedly interconnecting said base and cover to one another; a plurality of quick-release latches for releasably latching said cover to said base; a catch formed on said cover; a double-axle latch formed on said base; a groove formed in an interior wall of said cover in circumscribing relation thereto; a thin, transparent sheet of plastic having a bead formed in its peripheral edge; said bead being press fit into said groove so that said thin, transparent sheet of plastic closely overlies the operative face of said mobile device when said cover is latched to said base; whereby said mobile device having said touch screen is operated by touching preselected areas of said touch screen through said thin sheet of plastic.
 8. The container of claim 7, further comprising: said container formed of a buoyant elastomeric material so that it will not sink if dropped into a body of water.
 9. The container of claim 8, further comprising: an elongate lanyard having a first end securely connected to a preselected article of clothing and a second end is securely connected to said container.
 10. A water-proof container for holding a mobile device, comprising: a base adapted to support a mobile device positioned thereatop; a cover; a hinge; said hinge interconnecting said base and cover to one another; a first rotatably mounted lock handle for locking a first end of said cover to said base; a second rotatably mounted lock handle for locking a second end of said cover to said base; a groove formed in an interior wall of said cover in circumscribing relation thereto; a thin, transparent sheet of plastic; a bead formed in a peripheral edge of said sheet of plastic, said bead being press fit into said groove so that said thin, transparent sheet of plastic closely overlies the operative face of said mobile device when said cover is latched to said base; said cover being unlatched from said base by manual rotation of said first and second lock handles.
 11. The container of claim 10, further comprising: first and second hingedly mounted lock members that lock said first and second lock housing, respectively, in a locked position; said first and second lock members respectively having an “L” shape that includes a short wall and a long wall; said first and second lock members having an open position and a closed position; said first and second lock members being in said open position when said respective short walls abuts respective protrusions formed integrally with said top cover wall; said respective protrusions abutting a flat end of said respective short walls when said first and second lock members are urged into their respective locked positions, such respective abutments preventing unwanted opening of said lock member; first and second recesses formed in said side wall of said cover and in said side wall of said base, said first and second recesses accommodating said first and second lock members when said first and second lock members are in said respective locked positions, said first and second lock members being trapped within said first and second recesses, respectively, when so accommodated, and said first and second lock housings being prevented from rotating about said respective pivot pins; said first and second lock member having respective unlocked, lifted positions that allows such rotation, said first and second lock member being respectively movable into said unlocked, lifted positions when the bias of said protrusion against said flat end of said short wall is manually overcome.
 12. The container of claim 11, further comprising: said cover being unlatched from said base by manual rotation of said first and second lock members in a common direction.
 13. The container of claim 11, further comprising: said common direction being a clockwise direction.
 14. The container of claim 11, further comprising: said common direction being a counterclockwise direction. 